How banks decide on new customers, what documents they ask for, and the account types regulators describe. Status labels are explained on the Starting in Malta home page.
3.1 What documents do banks usually ask for when I open an account?
Page has a checklist of documents banks generally request and notes that some banks offer online account opening.
Official source: MFSA: Bank accounts for consumers (MFSA)
Status: ✅ Verified · checked 2026-10-21 · For: All
3.2 What is a payment account with basic features, and can I use it?
Aimed mainly at people legally resident in Malta or another Member State who hold no other account in Malta. Banks with five or more branches must offer it.
Official source: MFSA: Payment account with basic features Q&A (MFSA)
Status: ✅ Verified · checked 2026-10-21 · For: Residents, new arrivals
3.3 Can I switch accounts later?
Page covers switching between payment accounts in Malta or another EU member state.
Official source: MFSA: Bank accounts for consumers (MFSA)
Status: ✅ Verified · checked 2026-10-21 · For: Residents
3.4 How do I open a business bank account for a startup?
No confirmed answer yet.
Source: none identified yet.
Status: ⚪ No official source found · For: Founder
3.5 Can I open an account before I arrive in Malta?
No confirmed answer yet.
Source: none identified yet.
Status: ⚪ No official source found · For: Non-resident
3.6 Which banks operate in Malta, and which are the main ones?
The euro-area register lists 21 credit institutions in Malta:
- Akbank T.A.S. Malta Branch
- APS Bank
- Bank DiMare
- Bank of Valletta
- BNF Bank
- ECCM Bank
- European Depositary Bank (Malta Branch)
- FCM Bank
- FIMBank
- HSBC Bank Malta
- IIG Bank (Malta)
- Izola Bank
- Lidion Bank
- Lombard Bank Malta
- MeDirect Bank (Malta)
- Merkanti Bank
- Multitude Bank
- Nexent Bank
- Sparkasse Bank Malta
- The Access Bank Malta
- Turkiye Garanti Bankasi (Malta Branch)
The Central Bank of Malta's 2020 classification names six core domestic banks, the ones with the most significant linkages with the domestic economy:
- APS Bank
- Bank of Valletta
- BNF Bank
- HSBC Bank Malta
- Lombard Bank Malta
- MeDirect Bank (Malta)
Official source: Banco de España: List of monetary financial institutions in Malta (ECB register, 19 October 2026); Central Bank of Malta: categorisation of banks by domestic relevance (2020) (Banco de España / Central Bank of Malta)
Status: ✅ Verified · checked 2026-10-21 · For: All, Founder